May 01, 2017

Ingratitude

Few things are more demoralising in politics than a kicking from your own party a few days before an election.

The Prime Minister visited Newport but did not inform the Leader of Newport's Conservatives. Now all their council candidates have been told that they are not good enough to be considered for a shortlist of General Election candidates in Newport West. A candidate has been imposed on the constituency.

I've always been on good terms with Newport Tories. Some of them even vote for me! So do some Plaid Cymru and Green voters. I'm grateful to them. Their secrets are safe with me. I've always tried to be courteous and respectful to candidates of other parties. I have never attacked them. This time, the Conservatives have left me baffled.

The obvious strong Tory candidates in Newport would have been those with a history of serving the city and proving it by working as councillors, parliamentary candidates or charity volunteers. It was shocking to read a tweet from the Tory candidate in 2015 complaining that although he had applied to go on the shortlist this time, he had been rejected. A leading councillor hinted that he has been approached to stand. Neither of them were on the shortlist of one that Tory Party Wales has imposed on Newport West. They deserve a little gratitude for their service. Local Tories in Bridgend have complained of 'bullying' because they have a choice of only two where party rules say there should be a list of three.Now I am deeply embroiled in current serious Newport issues. I am convinced that my team and I are best placed to fight Newport's corner in the many difficult battles ahead. Newport deserves a choice of strong 'Newport Nationalists' from all parties.

The candidate that has been imposed on Newport is not known to me. Checking on Google reveals that she lost her two previous winnable elections. Presumably, she is now facing the end of her job with an MEP because of Brexit. It may be convenient to Tory Party Wales to force favourites on local constituencies, but it is deeply insulting to their members in Bridgend and Newport to imply that they are not good enough to be considered for shortlists. If they are not fit to be on a shortlist the public may well ask, are they qualified to run the City?Voters in the past have deeply resented party HQs imposing candidates on reluctant local parties. Newport Tories will now be ordered to put on a show of feigned unity. Some will do it resentfully. I doubt whether many Newportonians will be convinced.

As always, I am keen to talk to all constituents. Over the phone is the most relaxed way to have sensible conversations. Please ring me on 016233 262348.

Conservative activists in two Welsh target seats are angry that general election candidates are being imposed on them by the central party

But local hopefuls have been swept aside in favour of a shortlist of two outsiders in Bridgend and just one in Newport West.

A Bridgend Conservative told us: “As a concerned member of the Conservative Party in Bridgend, a seat which the Prime Minister has just visited, I wanted you to be aware of a situation which is developing.

“The party centrally is trying to impose a shortlist of two candidates on us – Dan Boucher and Karen Robson – neither of whom are from the local area. They had an opportunity to shortlist three candidates but chose not to. This is in spite of high-calibre local candidates putting their names forward.”

“This situation has been challenged by a number of members who have written to the party hierarchy at Conservative HQ in London and Cardiff to ensure that we have our local choice of candidate on the shortlist. Not only that but the rules simply haven’t been followed.The activist claimed that instead of reviewing their decision and listening to the local membership the party was closing ranks and bullying local members, threatening them with supportive measures if they don’t comply.

“The majority of members are up in arms as this is an outrage and tearing our association apart in a target seat,” said the Bridgend party member. “It is hardly an example of strong and stable leadership in the national interest. This is immoral and treats all of us hard-working volunteers who have been here through thick and thin with contempt.

A Welsh Labour source said the Tories were 'stitching up seats for friends of the Prime Minister'A Welsh Labour source said the Tories were 'stitching up seats for friends of the Prime Minister'“Some senior members are threatening to resign and there will be a meeting on Sunday at 7pm at which there will be an attempt to overturn this decision to force a candidate upon us and ensure that our excellent local candidate can contest this important election.”

An email to executive members of the Bridgend party from Carolyn Webster, who chairs it, and David Deere the president, said: “[We] have over the past day received emails about the candidates selection process for the general election in five weeks time. According to the special rules laid out by the Conservative Party, nominations are the responsibility of the party chairman.

“The rules state that if the association fails to nominate one of the candidates put forward for selection then a candidate will be appointed and the association will be put into supportive measures.”

In Newport West Angela Jones-Evans has been imposed on the local party. A former Assembly candidate for the Vale of Glamorgan, she has been working for MEP Dr Kay Swinburne. The 2015 candidate in the seat Nick Webb tweeted to local Labour MP Paul Flynn: “I did apply to stand for Newport West but was not offered a place on the shortlist drawn up by the Conservative Party.”

A Newport West Tory source said: “At least Bridgend has two candidates to choose from. We have no choice.”

No there is no precedent I know of to Labour imposing a SHORTLIST OF ONE on a party. Newport Tories has a shortlist on which none of the local people were included-even though some wanted to be added.
Alan Howarth was selected from a shortlist of five. I would have preferred a shortlist of nine. No Labout Party or any other self-respecting group would accept having a single candidate imposed on them.

No. Alan was not imposed. There was a shortlist of 5 I believe including the late Reg Kelly who had challenged sitting MP Roy Hughes at a previous selection
The Newport Labour Parties would not stand for candidates being imposed without a local vote. I have quibbles about that selection and the elimination of some local candidates. But ultimately the choice was the members in Newport East.
I always face re-selection

About time you revived your own ambitions?

Cheers
Paul Flynn

Sent from my iPhone

On 1 May 2017, at 18:53, Typepad wrote:

A new comment from Nicola Bodman was received on the post Ingratitude of the blog Paul Flynn - Read My Day. If you would like to post a reply to this comment you can do so at the following URL:

Comment:
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Didnt the Labour Party do the same with Alan howarth When he defected from the Tories? Surely all parties should choose the best candidate preferably a local person who represents their constituents because they know the problems that affect the area they represent. I am a Labour Party member and have been for many years I once considered putting myself forward as a councillor but was put off by the Labour Party policy of all women shortlists as I would want to represent a ward that chose me because they thought I would represent them the best not because I had the right bits. So maybe there is fault on all sides

Didn't the Labour Party do the same with Alan howarth When he defected from the Tories? Surely all parties should choose the best candidate preferably a local person who represents their constituents because they know the problems that affect the area they represent. I am a Labour Party member and have been for many years I once considered putting myself forward as a councillor but was put off by the Labour Party policy of all women shortlists as I would want to represent a ward that chose me because they thought I would represent them the best not because I had the right bits. So maybe there is fault on all sides